A report from Independent Online (IOL) on March 8 has once again exposed a crisis that keeps on rearing its ugly head in many parts of Africa and which I have lamented here before. The problem should not be confused with so-called liturgical experimentation or cultural adaptation but should be seen for what it is: the infiltration of pagan religious practices into what claims to be Catholic life.>The Sunday Tribune reports that in the Archdiocese of Durban, two priests have been removed from their parishes after controversy over their involvement in traditional African healing practices. As the article states on IOL, “both Fr Ngcobo and Fr Ndlovu practise traditional healing, and some of the parish members believe their sabbatical results from victimization and punishment for their continued syncretism”. (These parish members are so poorly catechized, that they take the side of the priests. In synodal parishes, hoodoo voodoo is just fine. – Ed)>This case highlights the very real danger of what is euphemistically called syncretism. In simple terms, syncretism is the blending of Catholicism with pagan religion. The article itself describes it as “the blending of African cultural practices with Christian worship”. But my non-African readers should understand that this is not merely a cultural mixture, but a direct violation of the First Commandment.

Originally published in Radical Fidelity. Read original article